Join the conversation!
BJC is committed to providing space for important discussions about topics related to faith freedom for all, bringing new voices and perspectives to the conversation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve moved many of these conversations to our Facebook page, providing live conversations and opportunities for interaction. Here are a few recent conversations and a list of upcoming discussions you don’t want to miss.
Voices of LGBTQ Faith Freedom: June 2022
June 1, 2022: Rev. Fred Davie, Senior Strategic Advisor to the President at Union Theological Seminary and Senior Advisor for Racial Equity at Interfaith America
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
June 8, 2022: BJC Fellow Kristan Pitts and BJC’s Jaziah Masters
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
June 15, 2022: Rev. Alex McNeill, Presbyterian pastor and member of Americans United for Separation of Church and State Faith Advisory Council
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
Voices of Native American Faith Freedom: November 2021
BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. is hosted new conversations during Native American Heritage Month, exploring what faith freedom means for Native Americans. Visit BJC’s Facebook page to watch the conversations.
Nov. 4 What does manifest destiny mean to a Native American Christian
Guest: Mitch Randall of Good Faith Media.
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
Nov. 17 10:30 AM ET What is the continuing legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery?
Guest: Author Mark Charles
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
Voices of Hispanic and Latin American Faith Freedom: September-October 2021
BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. hosted a series of conversations during Hispanic Heritage Month, exploring what faith freedom means for Hispanic and Latin Americans. Visit BJC’s Facebook page or click below to watch the following conversations.
You can click here to access a discussion guide for a small group conversation or personal reflection.
Sept. 23: ¿Que significa la libertad religiosa para los hispanoamericanos? con Jesse Rincones y Anyra Cano (en español)
What does faith freedom mean for Hispanic and Latin Americans? (in Spanish)
Guests: Jesse Rincones and Anyra Cano
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
Sept. 30: What is our identity in the community?
Guests: Rev. Alyssa Aldape, Erika Perez, M.Ed., LPC, and Rev. Aurelia Pratt (all three are BJC Fellows)
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
Oct. 7: What can the religious community learn from a Latinx Humanist?
Guest: Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera
Watch on Faceook at this link, or play the video below.
Voices of Asian American Faith Freedom: A series of conversations in May 2021
BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. hosted a series of conversations on BJC’s Facebook page in May 2021: Voices of Asian American Faith Freedom. Videos are available below, and you can click here for a discussion guide for deeper conversation on these discussions with a small group.
Guest: Rev. Lauren L. Ng, Director of Leadership Empowerment – American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS)
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
May 20: How do minority religions gain equality in the face of Christian privilege?
Guest: Dr. Khyati Joshi, Professor of Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University and author of White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
May 27: What can America learn about religious diversity from Asian Americans?
Guest: Tahil Sharma, Regional Coordinator for North America at the United Religions Initiative; Hindu-Sikh Interfaith Activist
Watch on Facebook at this link, or play the video below:
Preview of 2021 Shurden Lectures — Religious Liberty Has Been White Too Long: Voices of Black Scholars
On April 14, 2021, four Black scholars talked about ways religious liberty has been white too long during BJC’s annual Shurden Lectures. The event featured Dr. Teresa L. Smallwood of Vanderbilt Divinity School, Dr. Nicole Myers Turner of Yale University, Dr. David Goatley of Duke Divinity School, and Dr. Anthony Pinn of Rice University.
In this live conversation, BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. and Executive Director Amanda Tyler talked about why these conversations matter and how it impacts BJC’s work This conversation was first broadcast on Facebook on March 22, 2021, and it is also available on BJC’s YouTube channel.
In February 2021, BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. was joined by special guests for a series titled “Voices of Black Faith Freedom.” They explored different angles of the intersection of race and religious liberty, looking at how most narratives on religious freedom have been white too long.
February 4: What can America learn from the Black church about faith freedom?
Guest: Rev. William Lamar, IV, Pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.
Click here to watch it on Facebook, or play the video below.
Additional responses and reflections:
The Invisible Institution: What the Black Church Reveals about Religious Freedom by Rev. Jaimie Crumley
Feb. 11: What does faith freedom mean to Black Nonbelievers?
Guest: Mandisa Thomas, Founder and President of Black Nonbelievers, Inc.
Click here to watch it on Facebook, or play the video below:
Additonal responses and reflections:
Instagram takeover from Rev. Elijah Zehyoue
Religious Freedom As I See It by the Rev. Dr. Perry Hopper
Guests: Dr. Timothy “Tee” Boddie, Social Justice Church Engagement Consultant at SOJOURNERS and Former General Secretary of the PNBC; Maya Boddie, communications associate at Advancement Project National Office and former BJC intern
Click here to watch it on Facebook, or play the video below:
Additional responses and reflections:
Bringing our Whole Selves: Faith Freedom in the Next Generation by Jaziah Masters
Guest: P.J. Andrews, Race Discourse Officer at Baha’is of the United States
Click here to watch it on Facebook, or play the video below.
Additional responses and reflections:
A Baptist Tradition Rooted in the African American Experience: video reflection from Rev. Dr. Aidsand Wright-Riggins
New perspectives for congregations and communities
On January 21, 2021, Dr. Sabrina Dent and the Rev. Keisha Patrick — two members of the BJC Fellows — joined BJC’s Charles Watson Jr. for a conversation on Black perspectives on religious freedom, a new book they contributed to, and more. Click here to watch their conversation on Facebook, or play the video above to watch it on YouTube.
Sabrina and Keisha contributed to the recently released book African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities. Click here to access a PDF copy of the book.
When clergy become candidates: December 2020
The conversation around the U.S. Senate race in Georgia between the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Sen. Kelly Loeffler brought up many questions: What are the implications of using sermons as a basis for campaign attacks? Are different candidates held to different standards?
BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. and Executive Director Amanda Tyler discussed these questions and more in a live conversation on December 2, 2020.
White supremacy and American Christianity
After the BJC Luncheon on white supremacy and American Christianity, BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. spoke with Dr. Alphonso Saville IV, a scholar who serves at Georgetown University as the Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral fellow for American Religion and Slavery in the Department of Theology. Their conversation took place on June 26, 2020.
Juneteenth and religious freedom
On Juneteenth, BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler and Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. held a conversation on Facebook about Juneteenth, its history, and what it means.
